SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — An Ohio bank is trying a new way to do business. It’s running a coffee shop where everything is free. Any donations you give for the drinks go to charity.
Misty Turner has been a barista for the last 13 years.
“Coffee makes people happy, and I like to see people happy,” she said.
To her, making coffee drinks is more than just a job because the drinks she’s whipping up are helping groups that really need it.
“Giving back to the community is just so special I think,” Turner said.
There’s not even a register on the counter at Richmond Coffee in Springfield. That’s because the coffee shop is inside of a bank that’s footing the bill for the drinks and asking customers to give to something else.
“Make a $10 donation to your favorite nonprofit and then we would give you, like, for $10 and give you three thank you drinks, and then the bigger donation you make, the more thank you drinks you get,” said Richmond Bank Branch Sales Manager Jonathan Whitacre.
He said that although the bank is not making a profit on the coffee, the coffee shop is helping the bank recover from the pandemic.
“They actually saw an increase of foot traffic of 30%,” Whitacre said. “So they’re like, OK, this is something that, you know, can work.”
It’s the reason he said they’re expanding, opening more shops where your money goes back into to the community for what it would have cost you for a cup of coffee
“I just love it,” Turner said. “It’s my heart and soul.”
Richmond Bank is working with a total of 38 charities where donations are going for the coffee.
